Mill for producing meslins and flours

ABSTRACT

The disclosure is of a mill comprising an upper body connected to a lower support directly or through an intermediate element, by means of a micrometric screw-threading, a fixed millstone and a rotary millstone driven by a motor, one or more fans extracting air transversely by means of a filter, a spout to which is attached a receptacle, and a supply hopper mounted on the upper body.

United States Patent Zimmer 1 Nov. 25 1975 [5 1 MILL FOR PRODUCING MESLINS AND 2,405,561 8/1946 Egedal 241/257 R 533???? 31322 iii/23 zasz [76] Inventor: Raymond Zimmer, 14 rue du Chatsau, HorbOm-g (BasRhin), FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS France 556,785 5/1958 Canada 241/259.1

[22] Filed: Aug. 16, 1973 Primary ExaminerGranv1lle Y. Custer, Jr. pp 388,924 Assistant ExaminerE. F. Desmond Attorney, Agent, or FirmYoung & Thompson [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 31, 1972 France 72.31644 [57} ABSTRACT The disclosure is of a mill comprising an upper body [52] U.S. Cl.2 241/56; 241/245 connected to a lower support directly or through an [SI] Int. Cl. B02C 9/00 intermediate element, by means of a micmmetric [58] Field of Search 241/244, 259.1, 58, 68, screwthreading a fixed mmStone and a rotary 257 stone driven by a motor, one or more fans extracting 23 air transversely by means of a filter, a spout to which R i e C d is attached a receptacle, and a supply hopper mounted ee nces 1e on the upper body. UNITED STATES PATENTS 1987941 1/1935 Mathews 241/259.1 x 6 5 Drawng Fgures flxxxxx'xxx xxxxixxxxL US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet2of4 3,921,919

US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet30f4 3,921,919

US. Patent Nov.- 25, 1975 Sheet 4 of 4 MILL FOR PRODUCING MESLINS AND FLOURS INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the production of meslins and flours commencing with various vegetable products such as, for example, cereals or legumes.

In infantile and adult human dietetics, as well as in the feeding of animals, the freshness of the meslins of the different vegetable products is of a fundamental importance. In practice flours prepared too long in advance lose a part of their nutritive or gustatory qualities and may even, by oxidation in the air, become degraded or even noxious.

The utilisation of the principle of grinding-pounding, such as is put into effect in domestic coffee grinders, does not permit the production of fine flours and is revealed as totally inappropriate for the milling of cereals, legumes and grains of different varieties utilised in dietetics.

The ancient process of the dehusking and comminution of the grains between fixed and rotary millstones remains the process of choice for dietetic purposes.

However the known mechanisms which are characterised by relatively slow velocities of the millstones and by a great pressure are not applicable, by reason of their weight, their volume, their inertia, and their purchase price, to a family or domestic utilisation, in which the apparatus utilised must remain easy to handle, easy to put into operation, of small encombrance, and of a low purchase price.

The present invention has as one object to provide an apparatus in the form of a mill, retaining the principle of the millstones, and permitting domestic or dietetic centre utilisation for the milling of various vegetable products utilised in dietetics, in proportion according to needs, whilst thus preserving all their properties.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention the mill is more particularly characterised by great speed of relative rotation of the millstones, and by low inertia. For this purpose it comprises, on the one hand, a certain number of arrangements ensuring the cooling of the motor, the protection against the possible breaking of the rotary millstone, and the filtration of the air, and, on the other hand, a system for moving the millstones nearer together and further apart, and, finally, an arrangement for the forced discharge of the meslins.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION According to a further characteristic of the invention there is provided, at the outlet of the spout, a bolter permitting the separation of the different grades of the meslins.

In conformity with another characteristic of the invention the passage for the grain comprises an opening which is regulatable by means of a regulating screw or by any other analogous regulating arrangement.

The following description relates to a preferred manner of embodiment of the mill which is the subject of the invention, given by way of non-limitative example and explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS IN THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view half in external elevation and half in sectional elevation of a mill in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a device for the reception of the meslins and for the evacuation of the air;

FIG. 3 is a view in section of a bolter for the separation of the meslins according to three different size grades;

FIG. 4 is a view half in external elevation and half in sectional elevation of the upper portion of the mill with the screw for regulating the opening of the passage for the grain, and

FIG. 5 is a view of a detail, in plan, of the opening for the passage of the grain.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As represented in FIG. 1, the mill, which is the subject of the invention, is comprised essentially of a casing including an upper cylindrical body 1 supporting a hopper 2, and a likewise cylindrical lower support 3. Within the casing is an upper millstone 4 fixed in a rigid manner in the body 1, a rotating nether millstone 5 secured upon the shaft of a motor 6 mounted in the support 3, and two fans 7 and 8. An outlet spout 9 to which is attached a bag 10 or analogous receptacle projects laterally from the casing.

Between the motor 6 and the support 3, both of which are secured upon a base 11, there is a ventilation chamber 12'serving for the cooling of the motor 6 by virtue of the fan 8 drawing the air through a filter 14 fixed, for example by means of two rails 15, below the base 11, and through openings 16 provided in the base 11.

In the example of embodiment represented in FIG. I the support 3 comprises a connecting piece 17 furnished at its upper extremity with an internal screw threading 17' co-operating with an external screw threading l of the body I. The relative displacement between the body 1 and the connecting piece 17, or the support 3 when the latter co-operates directly with the body 1, determines the spacing between the two millstones 4 and 5 and thus the grade or size of the meslins. From this it follows that in order to obtain the necessary precision the screw threading connecting the connecting piece 17 and the body is of the micrometric type.

In order to ensure fixation of the selected position of regulation, on the connecting piece 17 there is provided a locking system, for example in the form of a screw 18.

Between the upper part of the motor 6 and the rotary nether millstone 5 there are provided a second air filter 19, a plate 20 for locating the filter l9 and provided with holes for the passage of the air, and a second fan 7, which discharges towards the outlet spout 9 and towards the bag 10 which is fixed there to receive the meslins produced by the two millstones 4 and 5.

The current of air created by the fan 7 around the base of the millstones 4 and 5 obviates the accumulation of the meslins and the clogging of the millstones.

The supplying of grains to the mill is effected at the upper part of the hopper 2. The fixed upper millstone 4 comprises a central passage 22 comprising a channel 3 through which the grains descend vertically in order to arrive by natural gravitation at the nip between the millstones 4 and 5.

According to another feature of the invention the rotary nether millstone 5 supports at its upper part a hollow stem 23 extending inthe central opening of the fixed upper millstone 4 and furnished with a screw threading 23 for disengagement, that is to say of the opposite sense in relation to the sense of rotation of the millstone 5. The stem 23 terminates, suitably, at its upper end in the form of a stirring vane 24 serving for the agitation of the grains in the hopper 4.

'In order to avoid, which may occur in certain instances, that the wall of the receptacle bag swells under the effect of a current of air and of the entrained meslins, the invention has as another object and according to another feature of the invention an evacuating arrangement disposed between the outlet spout 9 and the reception bag 10 (FIG. 2).

This evacuating arrangement is advantageously comprised of a three-way connecter 25 of which one passage is connected to the outlet spout 9, a second passage is connected to the bag 10 for the reception of the meslins, whilst the third passage, upwardly directed, is equipped with a very fine mesh filter permitting the escape of the air whilst the meslins become deposited in the bottom of the bag 10, which in this instance may be completely airtight.

In conformity with, a further feature of the invention the outlet spout 9 of the mill may be equipped with a bolter permitting the separation of the different size grades of the meslins.

As represented in FIG. 3, this bolter or separating arrangementis constituted by a chamber 26 divided into compartments by partial partitions 27 equipped with deflectors 28 and provided at its base with secondary outlet spouts 29 to which are fixed the sacks 10 or receptacles, possibly with the interposition of an obtura-.

tor filter with a double bottom which permits, by rotation for regulation of the evacuation of the air as desired, either progressively or by all or nothing.

The outlet spout 9 of the mill or an intermediate outlet spout 10 may, in the case of the application of the bolter, be equipped with a throttle vane or rotary accelerator 30. 2 Likewise the chamber 26 may comprise regulatable obturator air filters 31 in its upper portion. According to the regulation of the obturators it is therefore extremely simple to obtain the separation of the different size grades of the meslins as a function of their densities.

In the case of the utilisation of a bolter as thus described, it is preferable to provide for the last outlet spout receiving the finest meslins a bag or a receptacle with a wall permitting the passage of the air, and, for the other outlet spouts, bags or receptacles with walls which are airtight, it being equally possible for the escape of the air to be effected through an outlet provided for this purpose in the chamber 26.

In conformity with a further feature of the invention and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the channel 22 for the passage of the grain is regulatable by means of a screw 32 the inner end of which thus serves as a shutter. This latter screw 32 is provided with a knob 33 easily accessible from the exterior and permitting a good prehension. Thus the regulation of the opening of the channel 22 for the passage of the. grain can be effected as a} function of the flow quality of the grain and. of. the speed of milling desired. In order to mark the different loads or settings currently utilised, graduation marks 34 may be engraved and coloured with reference tothe grains and the speedsof milling utilised, upon thescrew In order to ensure that at the end of a period of operation the screw 32 for regulating the supply does not come into engagement with the hollow stem-23, the

length of the screw 32 is calculated in a manner such rangement by a screw is not the only one possible, the

equivalent effect can be realised by a screw with a thread of steep pitch provided with a knob knurled and graduated upon which are indicated the variouscereals I susceptible of being milled, oragain by an arrangement comprising a lever and sliding shutter, or any analogous arrangement. I I

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited, to the modes of construction described and illustrated, and various modifications remain possible withoutde-, parting in any way from the scope of protection of the invention as defined in the following claims I I claim:

1. A mill for the production of meslins and flours, comprising a fixed annular upper millstone and a rotatable lower millstone, said millstones having a common vertical axis, a casing supporting said upper millstone,

an electric motor in said casing, and fan means ,driven by said motor to draw air through said casing to,cool said motor and thence through a chamber, below said lower millstone to remove in a stream of air ground meslins and flours that have passed between said millstones.

2. A mill as claimed in claiml, said electric motor being of the rotary type and having an output shaft that rotates about a vertical axis coaxial with said mill-.

stones. a I

3. A mill as claimed in claim 2, said lower millstone being directly secured to said output shaft of said mo-.

tor.

4. A mill as claimed in claim 1, said fan meansincluding a fan coaxial with and disposed below said motor for drawing air into the bottom of said casing.

5. A mill as claimed in claim 1, and filter means for air passing between the interior of said casing and said chamber.

6. A mill for the production of meslins and flours, 7

comprising a fixed annular upper millstone and a rotatable lower millstone, said millstones having a common vertical axis, motor means to rotate said lower millstone about said axis, there being a channel between said upper and lower millstones for the downward flow by gravity of material to be ground between said millstones, shutter means extending into said channel, and

means for moving said shutter means into andout of said channel for regulating the flow rate of said mate- 

1. A mill for the production of meslins and flours, comprising a fixed annular upper millstone and a rotatable lower millstone, said millstones having a common vertical axis, a casing supporting said upper millstone, an electric motor in said casing, and fan means driven by said motor to draw air through said casing to cool said motor and thence through a chamber below said lower millstone to remove in a stream of air ground meslins and flours that have passed between said millstones.
 2. A mill as claimed in claim 1, said electric motor being of the rotary type and having an output shaft that rotates about a vertical axis coaxial with said millstones.
 3. A mill as claimed in claim 2, said lower millstone being directly secured to said output shaft of said motor.
 4. A mill as claimed in claim 1, said fan means including a fan coaxial with and disposed below said motor for drawing air into the bottom of said casing.
 5. A mill as claimed in claim 1, and filter means for air passing between the interior of said casing and said chamber.
 6. A mill for the production of meslins and flours, comprising a fixed annular upper millstone and a rotatable lower millstone, said millstones having a common vertical axis, motor means to rotate said lower millstone about said axis, there being a channel between said upper and lower millstones for the downward flow by gravity of material to be ground between said millstones, shutter means extending into said channel, and means for moving said shutter means into and out of said channel for regulating the flow rate of said material to be ground. 